Pet puss shows how it saved one of its nine lives by just a whisker when it was shot through the neck with an arrow.
Heartbreaking capture camera footage recorded in allotments in Usingen, in the German state of Hesse, shows the black moggie with the arrow piercing the right side of its neck.
The steel-tipped 60-centimetre (23.6-inch) arrow, which experts say was a sports arrow, went in from behind at the base of the cat’s neck and emerged out the front by its throat.
Astonishingly, the arrow appears to have missed all the moggie’s throat and major blood vessels.
Further footage recorded on 17th June shows the moment wildlife experts finally lured the puss into a trap after a two-day search using thermal imaging drones.
The injured cat was first spotted by horrified passersby on 15th June who called animal rescue experts but it quickly gave them the slip.
The next day it was tempted into a trap baited with food in a garden, but the door failed to close.
It was not until the next day that it was spotted again and, this time, it was successfully trapped and taken for urgent veterinary care.
Wildlife experts at the Tierschutzengel RheinMain eV, Animal Protection Frankfurt and Fawn Rescue, said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “On Saturday, June 15, 2024, a cat was discovered.
“It was alive and running around but had a sports arrow stuck in its neck, the kind used by archers.
“The skin was completely pierced and you can see the arrow sticking out at the top and bottom.”
They added that when attempts were made to secure the cat, it disappeared into inaccessible allotment gardens.
They said when they arrived in Usingen OT Kransberg, they searched with a handheld thermal imaging camera and a drone with a thermal imaging camera.
The puss was rushed to the Giessen Animal Clinic where it is recovering after surgeons removed the arrow from its neck.
Police are now hunting for the cruel archer who used the defenceless puss for target practice.
The wildlife group said: “Of course, a criminal complaint has been filed against an unknown person. Unfortunately, the cat’s owner has not yet been identified.
“We will continue to investigate to find the person who wanted the cat dead.
“We hope that traces will be found or secured and would be grateful for any information from the public, which should be sent directly to the Usingen police.
“Thanks to everyone who supported and helped here.”
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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